1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to neurology, neurobiology and molecular biology. More particularly, this invention relates to molecules and methods for treatment of neurological diseases, disorders and injuries such as spinal cord injury.
2. Background of the Invention
Axons and dendrites extend from neurons. The distal tip of an extending axon or neurite includes a specialized region, known as the growth cone. Growth cones sense the local environment and guide axonal growth toward a neuron's target cell. Growth cones respond to environmental cues, for example, surface adhesiveness, growth factors, neurotransmitters and electric fields. The growth cones generally advance at a rate of one to two millimeters per day. The growth cone explores the area ahead of it and on either side, by means of elongations classified as lamellipodia and filopodia. When an elongation contacts an unfavorable surface, it withdraws. When an elongation contacts a favorable growth surface, it continues to extend and guides the growth cone in that direction. When the growth cone reaches an appropriate target cell a synaptic connection is created.
Nerve cell function is influenced by contact between neurons and other cells in their immediate environment (Rutishauser, et al., 1988, Physiol. Rev. 68:819). These cells include specialized glial cells, oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS), and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which sheathe the neuronal axon with myelin (Lemke, 1992, in An Introduction to Molecular Neurobiology, Z. Hall, Ed., p. 281, Sinauer).
CNS neurons have the inherent potential to regenerate after injury, but they are inhibited from doing so by inhibitory proteins present in myelin (Brittis et al., 2001, Neuron 30:11-14; Jones et al., 2002, J. Neurosci. 22:2792-2803; Grimpe et al., 2002, J. Neurosci.:22:3144-3160).
Several myelin inhibitory proteins found on oligodendrocytes have been characterized. Known examples of myelin inhibitory proteins include NogoA (Chen et al., Nature, 2000, 403, 434-439; Grandpre et al., Nature 2000, 403, 439-444), myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) (McKerracher et al., 1994, Neuron 13:805-811; Mukhopadhyay et al., 1994, Neuron 13:757-767) and oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (OM-gp), Mikol et al., 1988, J. Cell. Biol. 106:1273-1279). Each of these proteins has been separately shown to be a ligand for the neuronal Nogo receptor-1 (NgR1 (Wang et al., Nature 2002, 417, 941-944; Grandpre et al., Nature 2000, 403, 439-444; Chen et al., Nature, 2000, 403, 434-439; Domeniconi et al., Neuron 2002, published online Jun. 28, 2002).
Nogo receptor-1 (NgR1) is a GPI-anchored membrane protein that contains 8 leucine rich repeats (Fournier et al., 2001, Nature 409:341-346). Upon interaction with inhibitory proteins (e.g., NogoA, MAG and OM-gp), the NgR1 complex transduces signals that lead to growth cone collapse and inhibition of neurite outgrowth.
There is an unmet need for molecules and methods for inhibiting NgR1-mediated growth cone collapse and the resulting inhibition of neurite outgrowth. Additionally there is a need for molecules which increase neuronal survival and axon regeneration. Particularly for the treatment of disease, disorders or injuries which involve axonal injury, neuronal or oligodendrocyte cell death, demyelination or dymyelination or generally relate to the nervous system.
Such diseases, disorders or injuries include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis (MS), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), encephalomyelitis (EPL), central pontine myelolysis (CPM), adrenoleukodystrophy, Alexander's disease, Pelizaeus Merzbacher disease (PMZ), Globoid cell Leucodystrophy (Krabbe's disease) and Wallerian Degeneration, optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, post radiation injury, neurologic complications of chemotherapy, stroke, acute ischemic optic neuropathy, vitamin E deficiency, isolated vitamin E deficiency syndrome, AR, Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome, metachromatic leukodystrophy, trigeminal neuralgia, and Bell's palsy. Among these diseases, MS is the most widespread, affecting approximately 2.5 million people worldwide.
MS generally begins with a relapsing-remitting pattern of neurologic involvement, which then progresses to a chronic phase with increasing neurological damage. MS is associated with the destruction of myelin, oligodendrocytes and axons localized to chronic lesions. The demyelination observed in MS is not always permanent and remyelination has been documented in early stages of the disease. Remyelination of neurons requires oligodendrocytes.
Various disease-modifying treatments are available for MS, including the use of corticosteroids and immunomodulators such as interferon beta and Tysabri®. In addition, because of the central role of oligodendrocytes and myelination in MS, there have been efforts to develop therapies to increase oligodendrocyte numbers or enhance myelination. See, e.g., Cohen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,009; Chang et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 346: 165-73 (2002). However, there remains an urgent need to devise additional therapies for MS and other demyelination and dismyelination disorders.